While the History and Social Sciences Department is not requiring summer reading assignments for the upper school courses, students entering 9th through 12th grade are encouraged to read material that relates to the courses they will be taking in the fall. This will allow 9th- through 12th-grade students to select topics that appeal to them and expose them to a broader and more interesting range of readings. In order to give students some direction, H&SS faculty list below suggested readings for each of the upper school courses. We hope that students will seize this opportunity to engage in intellectual pursuit for its own sake, and we look forward to hearing their thoughts in August.
The optional readings below are designed to highlight the various voices and experiences of the respective disciplines. Students are encouraged to read these with a critical and analytical eye, considering the perspective of the author and how that perspective informs their texts. This sort of critical analysis will be emphasized throughout the year in all of our courses.